Music seems to be an instrumental part of our high school years, no matter what decade you are from. I was a member of the marching band and a majorette all through high school. It seemed like musicians were a different breed apart from the rest of the school. Music spoke to our spirits and emotions. Our band director was very prolific in writing music for every instrument in our band. I always thought of him as a musical genius, because he could effortlessly incorporate the popular songs of our day with some incredible choreographed formations created by our Drum Major. During football season, our half time shows were like theatrical presentations. With the loyal support from our fans, we became the envy of other area high school bands.
After saving up my allowances, I “had” to go buy something. I went to a nearby music store and purchased my first album (that we called an LP) released by my favorite group. There are many areas of writing that I can incorporate this experience into. Here are ten generic questions to help compose an interesting submission:
1. What was the name of the group?
2. What were my favorite songs from that album?
3. Was the album Classical, R & B, Spiritual or Rock?
4. Who was the lead singer?
5. How much did my album cost?
6. What did I play my album on (Victrola or Stereo)?
7. Did I go to any of this group’s concerts and where?
8. Did this group make any soundtracks to movies?
9. What popular dances were out during the release of this album?
10. Were there any historical movements going on when this album came out (ie. anti-war demonstrations, civil rights movement or women’s rights movement)?
Dancing to slow love songs with your partner was called slow draggin’. This was an unwritten indication that you and the person you were dancing with were an item. Up-tempo beats symbolized your free spirit by having a good time. As you think about some of these questions, allow your mind to reflect on your first 45 record, LP, 8-Track or cassette that you purchased. Then unleash your creative writing juices to make some entertaining pieces that would be memorable to your audience. Check out some of these suggested markets:
• Entertainment magazines
• Music related magazines
• Teen magazines
• Fan Club magazines
• Articles on retro and “old school” music
• Trade journals
• Dance related magazines
• Fashion Magazines
Music was based on some type of inspiration as it is today. Now, let music inspire you to write about it. Remembering that first album I bought, contained songs that truly celebrated life, supported peace and abhorred hatred and war. There are numerous writing angles to take with this subject. Write music or write about the various aspects of it. Then, when those checks start rolling in, you can sing all the way to the bank!
Kym Gordon Moore is a public relations strategist for budget conscious new authors and coordinates creative marketing packages for her clients. She is the author of the e-Book, “Alphabet Soup: 5 Main Ingredients for Turning Words into a Bowl of Hot Topics!” Many of her articles, essays, short stories and poems appeared in a variety of magazines, newspapers, ezines and anthologies. kymgmoore.com kymgmoore.com